Throughout recorded history, examples abound which demonstrate man's relationship with the food he consumes and his desire to improve its palatability. Man learned in ancient times to season meat, fish and vegetables with salt. He learned to preserve as well as improve the flavor of meat andfish by storing in a smokehouse. Peppercorns were once used as a form of money because of their rarity and desirability. Discovery and exploration of lands neverbefore known to exist were precipitated by man's desire to find a sea route to the spice-laden islands of the Far East.
In modern times, the improvement of food flavor has become a science. Chemists and flavorists analyze the components of foods, isolate those components which contribute to the desired food flavor, and then synthesize compounds which are identical or very similar to those desired flavor components. The synthetic compounds are then reincorporated into the food to boost the flavor and consequently improve its saleability.
Flavor improvement conducted in this manner produces foods having increased palatability, but the process is time-consuming and involves large expenditures of man-hours and money. Also, the synthesized flavor booster is often a laboratory-prepared product. It is not considered a "natural" product and is thus regarded as suspect by certain consumers.